Johnson makes big impression on a top 10 national player

His teammates call him T-Ferg...

    It's good to see Avery Johnson in his old stomping grounds. He's in Texas talking with Terrence Ferguson. TF is from Dallas, Texas. He is 6-6/7 and is a light 182 lbs. He is rated as the 6th best player in the class of 2016. How good is he? He carries 5 stars. He is a two guard. From watching videos of him I'd say he's a good shooter. His range? When he walks in the gym he can drain it. His teammates call him T-Ferg because he can kill a defense with his shooting and moves. He was a member of the under 16 USA National team. Alabama, Baylor, and Kansas are his top three.

      Here is the first recruit that I can point to and say that Johnson's NBA coaching is a factor in considering Alabama. In fact, one sports web site now project him to Alabama. Why? He loves Avery Johnson. He loves Johnson's NBA background. Some basketball gurus say he is he real deal and the next big deal in high school basketball. He plays for Prime Prep Academy in Dallas. PPA is undergoing some major scrutiny from the Texas Board of Education. They recently closed the school. The lanky sharpshooter goes to the PPA to practice his shooting. His daily goal? To make a 1000 shots a day. I'm talking about making 1000 and not just shooting 1000. I don't know if that's even possible. If it's true that shows more than a dedication to basketball. It let's everyone know that he is going to play in the NBA one day. Experts see him as a potential one and done if he can be bigger. His growth plates are still viable, and he could end up 6-9.

Big day in basketball for Ingram and hopefully Alabama

Who will it be for Mr. Basketball?

   

Mr. Basketball in Alabama, Dazon Ingram

 It seems to me that this Dazon Ingram to Kentucky is strange. Have any of you read or seen anything that leads you believe that Ingram has an offer from Kentucky? I haven’t, but perhaps it was something I missed. The last I heard was that he had talked with John Calipari on the telephone. Assume that Ingram has an offer from Kentucky. Why would he want to play at Alabama? I know his family will be close and that kind of thing. If Anthony Johnson can convince Ingram to attend Alabama over Kentucky, that would be the recruiting coup of the year. Maybe we should include Pettway in this gig if it happens.

     The other thing I find so interesting about this situation is the national perception of where the Tide is headed under Avery Johnson. I’ve said all along that Ingram was very underrated, but he didn’t get the coveted fourth or fifth star. Why not? Because basketball coverage in this state is embarrassingly lacking. If Alabama went into Kentucky and steals a running back it becomes a headline favorite. I honestly think that Alabama would be better served by letting sports bloggers take over the basketball coverage. It’s just about that way right now. Cecil Hurt does a credible job. He is the University’s go to guy on letting stuff become public. I wouldn’t let the other newspapers in the building. I suspect most of us get our information from the blogs on the internet. We now have a number of good blogs about basketball which warms my heart. Young fans have no idea about how little information was available in the press years. If the Birmingham News ever says anything about recruiting you've already heard it on the internet. I wish Randall would start his own blog. I have no idea who gives him his info but it is almost exactly what I get as well.

     The other thing I find so interesting about this situation is the national impact on the perception of where the Tide is headed under Avery Johnson. I’ve said all along that Ingram was very underrated but he didn’t get the coveted fourth or fifth star. Why not? Because basketball coverage in this state is embarrassingly lacking. If Alabama went into Kentucky and steals a running back it becomes a headline favorite. I honestly think that Alabama would be better served by letting sports bloggers take over the basketball coverage. It’s just about that way right now. Cecil Hurt does a credible job. He is the University’s go to guy on letting stuff become public. I wouldn't let the newspapers from Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, and Mobile into the press area. They don’t cover Alabama basketball with any real enthusiasm. In fact, I’d go as far as to say they hurt basketball by officially giving it a back page priority.

     If Alabama won a national championship in basketball I think the headlines would read:

Alabama gets commitment from 4 star running back

Tide men win the first national championship in basketball

   I’ve been fighting this recognition battle for five decades, and it has only gotten worse. The only time that basketball gets real ink time is when a coach is fired and a new one hired. I have to say I sense something a little different about what’s going on with Battle. Tide fans are expecting some instant gratification. Avery Johnson has already said his remaining players are going to represent the core of next season’s team. That is coach speak for we don’t have much talent but we are going to shake things up style wise. Some of the media also jump to conclusions. 

   I read one article last week that stated very plainly that Ingram was a program changer. That’s not going to happen. I will say that Calipari and Kentucky getting involved makes it a bigger story than it would have been otherwise. Ingram has great skills. He is clearly a good athlete. But being a good thlete doesn't make you a great basketball player. No doubt his signing with Bama would be big time for Johnson. Newspapers will say that Johnson beat out Calipari for Ingram. That may be true. It may not. Regardless, Ingram signing with Bama would be a big deal today. I’ve always thought that if he liked the new head coach we’d have the edge. We will see later today. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Locking down the borders could start today. In fairness to Johnson he got in very late.

Time for Tide fans to put up or shut up...
Support shouldn't be based on wins alone
The days of whining and negativity are over



    

          Well, the battle for better seating for students has begun.  I agree that some type of new configuration might improve our home court advantage. All this chatter about moving long time season ticket holders to give students is an option.  Here’s what I’d say to all the vocal proponents for such actions – try showing up for the games first. Earn you keep. The last couple of seasons have seen a black hole in seating where students sit. They are conspicuous with their absence;  and any talk about changing things around needs to follow on proof that students will actually attend. I have to give a lot of credit to the small cadre of students who do attend.  Those guys and girls are loud, obnoxious, and fairly well choreographed. I’m not talking Duke type actions, but it’s pretty spirited  for a small number of about  500. It may be a little higher, or could be lower. I know that in a lot of home games  you could set off a roadside bomb and few injuries will occur. The Crimson Chaos gave way to Grants Tomb

       I know that fans are going to say its Grant’s fault. And the answer to that is a resounding NOT. It’s not Grant’s fault that fans didn’t appear.  No product to support will be the rally cry. If you don’t show up you have no meaningful opinion. Refusing to attend is a personal decision each person makes.  If you didn’t come to support Grant  ,then what about Levi and all our players?  Were they not worthy of our support and attendance?  Here’s my take on our fan support. The lack of support far outweighed the liabilities of the team.  The team didn’t succeed as most had hoped. The fans didn’t do any better in the eyes of the players.  As a basketball fan base we are above Auburn, but I can’t think of another team we beat out.  This is just an opinion.  The SID always gave an inflated attendance number which reflects the amount of season tickets and other tickets sold. In other words we don’t  count warm bodies, we count little pieces of paper.

       I have long thought the SID ought to say that we sold 10,232 tickets were sold but only 2500 fans showed up. After Grant was fired, the Tide played in the NIT at home. The NIT reported around 2800 tickets were sold.  I bought a couple to say goodbye to some good kids. That attendance figure for the NIT said a lot about support for basketball.  I’m sure that when Johnson can get enough players on board next season to win a lot of games. Attendance will get better due to curiosity and a hope for the future.  Those people are called fair weather fans. Fair weather fans are about as important as spitting in a rainstorm.  I personally can’t stand them.  They are unworthy  in the eyes of many.   If Johnson succeeds we may have a few hundred new true believers. As long as the wins accumulate we will have more actually attendance.  I think Avery is going to have tough first year. We lost  Cooper , Randolph, Tarrant, and Mitchell.  The seldom used Slaughter is gone as well. At least he showed the fans he deserved more time.  On paper, right now, we’ll have Obasahan,  Coleman, Norris, and Taylor as key players.  Luckily all three (two?) of our recruits will get a lot of  playing time out of necessity.  I’m not sure the team will win 19 games next season. We might. If Johnson can do that we will have us one heck of a coach. He needs to sign at least one or two JUCO / Transfer  forwards who can rebound and score some. I haven’t seen a name connected to Bama that sounds certain. If any coach can win 20 games with our line up as it now appears, I’d be thrilled.

        Johnson is going to improve things. He already has people talking about basket ball.  That’s a good step. He’s out promoting our program, visiting clinics, AAU events, and meeting boosters. He’s working hard.  All of that will really help things if he can get some players next season.  Otherwise,  I think we’d be prudent to not  predict things he cannot do.  But there is one thing we can do regardless of the team, and that is to come to games and cheer.  We’ve heard all the excuses for not attending. There are NO excuses this time round.

Sank Roo Doe Noo...
For my Grandfather Russell Ellis

   

 So today I played golf at the Steele Canyon Golf Club in Jamul, California. Naturally, I’m wearing my red saddle oxfords with the Big A on the side.  After the round I go inside for some liquid libation in the form of a beer. You can no long have a glass of water in Southern California.  I get my beer and go out on the veranda, prompt up my size 11’s on another chair. A “Roll Tide” comes blasting from the steps. “Roll Tide back at you brother”, ask we bumped fists.

    He sits down to chat, and the first thing out if his mouth is “can you believe we have Avery Johnson as our coach? How in the heck did that happen?”  Of course, I tell him. He gets the blow by blow description of the firing of Grant, the big turndown by Gregg Marshall, and the happing ending with Avery Johnson.  He buys us a round. I can tell this is going to be a fun afternoon.   He told me he was from Texas and was a Spurs fan who had watched Johnson play.  He then said he watched him coach when he moved to Mavericks.  “This is unreal , dude, unreal.”  I order the next round, and our waitress suggested a pitcher because would be more cost effective.  That’ Southern Cal talk for cheaper. 

   We had a couple of more, which is about three more than I usually have.  Not one word about football.  We all take football for granted and there’s no need to talk about Nick Saban because the man has football covered.  I get up and head to the men’s room.  It’s a rental agreement I have with beer due to my age.  Back ton the table we are talking about the old days when Wimp coached.  “Let’s have another round for the road?” Road? I could barely see the table as it was. The cute little waitress, who is apparently was studying economics, walks up to the table and asks, “How about another round for you molasses dripping talkers?”

   

   “My new buddy looks at her and in his best Texan says, “honey, bring us two boilermakers and go heavy on the boiler.”  By this time I’m trying to figure out a way to sleep in my compact car in the parking lot. Not being one to temp the fates, I said, “h—ll yes, that calls for a Roll Tide Roll”. We stand up, if stand can be the right description and scream, “Roll Tide Roll.” We got a lot of return Roll Tide Rolls in return.  My new best friend, and a respectable Tide alum, a man of taste, and deep pockets, Said, “Willie, you ever been to Paris?” I told him I had. “Willie, you ever go down to Harry’s Bar in Paris.” I replied I had indeed spent many a blissful night in that bastion of American ex-pats. “And Willie, what is the address?” It is one of those addresses that are well known, and in Paris, and if you know only one sentence in French, it should be ‘Cinc Rue Daunou.

I would like to say that my life had changed, that I had an epiphany, and that all my priorities became clear as spring water. They did for a moment. But it was one of the best moments in my life. I don’t think Auburn fans have moments like that because they are worrying about what Alabama is always doing. We stepped down from our makeshift stage, and our waitress brought over a round of some fined Scottish single malt Oban. My new friend looked at me in all seriousness and said, “Willie, a toast - Too God, Country, and the University of Alabama”.  We both grinned the grins of drunken new friends, and all I could say was “Here, here.”

It had been a fine evening. The air was crisp and the friendship warm. We should all be so lucky once in our life.

** A little side note. I first went to Harry’s when I was 22 years old. I’ve been back many times. My late grandfather, Russell Ellis, told me stories about Harry’s. He was stationed in Paris after the Great War. Older American’s, who still lived in La Lourve, remembered him, told me he always sat in a particular spot, and they took me to that table. To them he was the happy young man who talked like he’d never been out of Dixie. I sat down and had a Blue Lagoon, and imagined my grandfather, the doughboy, drinking and laughing with his friends. The world is indeed a smaller than we believe and we should always treat one another accordingly.

INGRAM AND KENTUCKY ?

INGRAM IS STRICKLY A BACKUP PLAN TO KENTUCKY...




      Kentucky is worried that either Malik Newman, from Calloway, in Jackson, Ms.or another guard prospect from the East Coash may not choose them. Newman has been under tremendous pressure in state to sign with Ole Miss. The Rebels have gone to extraordinary links to get him to Oxford. I believe the kid from NJ is named Briscoe.


Ingram has been told if he will wait until national signing day his position with the Wildcats will be clearer. I have good faith in this source who lives in Oxford, Ms. and is close to the Ole Miss program.


Kentucky has not recruited Dazon Ingram this season. There only contact is one telephone call.

OR IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME THAT CALIPARI IS TRYING TO SIMPLY HURT AVERY JOHNSON WHO WILL EVENTUALLY GIVE THE CATS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY

Late Signing is almost here

Johnson fighting hard for recruits but
late start doesn't help

Dazon Ingram and Johnson visit but no word from Mr. Basktball

   

Nick King is leaving Memphis

    I think we need to be very realistic about the late signing period. Avery Johnson has already proved himself to be hard worker, but he's had little time for that to pay off. I'd be very satisfied if Avery could bring Dazon Ingram into the fold. Things got a little more complicated when John Calipari called Ingram earlier in the week. That tells me that someone on his "show me the money" recruiting list is seriously thinking about another school.

I've seen Dazon Ingram play three games. He is a great athlete, he's about 6-5, perhaps 6-6. He has a very slender frame but he  is packed with muscle. He has good quickness and speed. He is a quick jumper which is sometimes more important than how high a recruit can jump. He also can sky. The left hander has all the tools to be a great player, and he'll have the benefit of being competitive for a starting role now that Tarrant has fled the scene.

       

Brandon Austin - Carver Montgomery

Somehow our other two recruits seem to get lost in the shuffle. They are each very good players, and  could become terrific players. For the record Brandon Austin, Carver of Montgomery, is a 6-5 g/f who reminds me a lot of another Tide star. He's a Latrell Sprewell type. He runs the floor and can finish off players around the basket. Incidentally, all three players are better than three stars. Donta' Hall is now 6-11 and wore out everyone he played this season. He has a lot of upside when he gets to play against better players daily. He is from Luverne, Alabama which is a small AA team. Coach Johnson visited all three of these players earlier in the week. His first stop was Montgomery. He then traveled to Luverne, and ended up the road trip in Theodore.

A call from John Calipari likely has a duel purpose. First, he might actually have some interest in Ingram, but my bet it is to let Avery Johnson know who the 'big general' in the SEC coaches. Calipari is not above signing a prospect simply to deny someone else from getting his name on a LOI. I hope for Dazon's best interest someone is telling him that. I'll be concerned if Calipari and an assistant coach actually visit.

     

Pride of Luverne - Donta Hall

I've been told that both Hall and Austin text Ingram on a regular basis trying to get him to the Capstone. I also know that Grant told Ingram that his losing his job at Alabama should have little to do with his decision. That's a pretty classy thing for Grant to do in my opinion. If Ingram comes back the Tide has had a good year. Three position players who were all the top dogs at their position in Alabama last season. Alabama has also been linked with several transfers. That requires sitting out a year. One has a legitimate chance of getting a waive due to family health issues. None have publicly made statements about Alabama, but it is known that two of the three contacted Johnson to have a talk.

Dazon Ingram - Alabama's Mr. Basketball

Nick King, a Memphis transfer, has been offered by Alabama. He is a former top 100 recruit. He averaged 7.8 ppg, and around 4 rebounds.  He has yet to play up to his potential according  to Memphis news reports. He is 6-7 and around 240 He has visits set with Ole Miss and Arkansas. He has yet to select a date to visit Bama.

We may get a late period recruit. I think Johnson would like to sign someone to show how hard he is working. I also think we need to be realistic this late signing period. Let's hope Johnson and Pettway can persuade Ingram to come to Bama, and not wait for Kentucky to play games.

Tarrant is making mistake leaving Bama

The senior is leaving a unique situation 

  

     Trust me, Ricky. You don’t want to be that guy. Nothing much surprises me in college basketball. When you announced you were transferring it caught me off guard. I’d read some rumors you might transfer. Rumors are always claiming someone is leaving or coming. Ricky, let me very politely tell you this – this is a mistake. I’m told you want to transfer to Texas Southern.  They seem like an affable bunch of kids. They have really good coach in Mike Davis. Someone said you wanted to play your last season with a friend from high school. That sounds like fun. Everyone would like to re-live their high school days from time to time. I assume you are finished with serious basketball. I remember you from high school because I watched you play a lot games.  When you didn’t sign with Alabama I wrote a very long letter to Coach Grant. I also him that I didn’t care that you have Trevor Releford, Levi Randolph, Trevor Lacey, or Earl the Pearl Monroe,  we needed to sign you.

       When you went down to Tulane I thought that you’d be the best player in that league. You probably were. Then you transferred to ‘Bama and I knew we had a two year point guard, and one we could be proud of.  And we were. Trust me, Ricky. You don’t want to be that guy.  You know who I am talking about don’t you? That’s the guy who leaves his teammates when they need a leader. Who is going to be that player – the one who shows the young players how to handle pressure, someone to look up to, and be the leader of his team?  You were going to be the guy who lit the rocket on a new era of Alabama basketball.  It’s not easy losing your coach. He is not coming back. Perhaps Grant may have a new job line up and you want to follow him. That shows loyalty at least. But perhaps their are much bigger lessons to be learned. 

      I think you need to seriously reconsider coming back.  Don’t you think that Avery Johnson can give you a great opportunity to get into the league? He’s going to play a race horse basketball. I remember that 9^th grader who ran like a gazelle on the floor. He understood the game. He had court sense. You either are born with it or never get it. You got an extra dose of it. I remember that silly little grin on your face, the one that made your mama think you were up to no good. You had it at Alabama. You are possibly throwing away your basketball future. Instead, you will be forgotten and unloved by many for leaving. If you leave this bunch of players who stuck together like glue under the most difficult circumstances I’m going to very sad for you. Not upset you understand, but sad for you have one of those rare opportunities to separate yourself from your peers. You could have been the player who laid the foundation for something wonderful. Instead, you are choosing the road most traveled. You are making a mistake. You need to stay home. You have serious responsibilities at the Capstone. You are needed for your leadership, and not just your talent. If you want to take the easy way out you’ll have plenty of company. That is what everyday people do. You have a chance to the guy who stuck around and started something that people will remember forever. Good luck to you. I wish you nothing but the best. You’re leaving a place where you would be better than the best. 

     That is the guy you really want to be. Give it some thought.

  

Top 10 players in Alabama Basketball history...

The Moose - Jerry Harper      

     It is difficult to compare players in different eras. Each generation tends to believe that the years they observed the game was the best. I know longer even try. This is going to be the first in a series on my picks of the top ten players who wore the Crimson and White. I’m not going to rank them now. At the end I’ll put down in the order I think they merit.

       

Jerry Harper still leads
the Tide in career rebounds

  Jerry Harper was 6-8 inches tall and weighed around 220 lbs.  He played at the University of Alabama from 1952-56.  His friends called him Moose. His opponents called him a holy terror. At one time he held 16 of the 18 official records kept by the SEC in his era. That's how good he was. He was a bull of a young man. I can remember him being the tallest human I’d ever seen at the age of 9 years. I can also remember him taking the time to shake my hand and ask me if I was going to play at Alabama one day. “I hope”, was all I could muster. Harper still leads the Crimson Tide in rebounding even thought the last game he played was almost 50 years ago. He still holds the SEC record for rebounds, and it is a record that will never be broken in all likelihood. That surreal number is 1806. Think about that for a moment. That is over 400 hundred a year. Some years his team only played 24 games.

Three Time All-American ...

  

          He was a Second Team All-American his freshman year. After that he was First Team All-American. He averaged more than 20 points per game for his career. The only three point plays in his days were the old fashioned kind. His senior year he scored 21.3 ppg and an unbelievable 21.5 rebounds an outing. I don’t care what era you played. Those numbers are astonishing.  He played for a great coach, Johnny Dee, whose excellence seems to be lost in Alabama basketball history. Harper played for the nationally prominent Rocket Eight which was named after an Oldsmobile.  Harper was the rocket engine on that team. Harper’s team was the first team to score over 100 points against Kentucky. He wasn’t recruited by Kentucky, and Harper made sure they remembered their error.  He as a First Team All-American his junior and senior years. He is the only player from Alabama to hold that accomplishment. He is member Sports Hall of Fan. 

Hard to understand how great Harper was ...

   

    It is difficult to explain how good Harper really was. He was huge for his day. He was so strong it was amazing, and he could jump. He was a goor free throw shooter who got over 480 chances in his career. He could make jump shots, but if he got you down low and his back was to the basket he was going to score.  Stats were a little different in those days. What percentage did he actually shoot? I’d say over 45%. He scored, or if he missed he frequently got his own rebound and then scored. Other players would actually step out of his way when he went up for a rebound. He had razor sharp elbows and knew how to use them. He was my first hero.  Could he play today? He certainly would start for most Alabama teams since his day. If he played this season he would have been the best player on the team. Alabama would have made the NCAA and could have had a run. He was ahead of his time. He was a great athlete and an even better basketball player. Any list of the top 10 players in Alabama history would not be credible without Moose. He died in 2001 at the age of 67 after fighting cancer for a decade. I can still see his smiling face and that flat-top haircut. I got my hair cut just like his because I idolized him. He was friendly and outgoing until he stepped on the court.  He then became a machine who mowed down anything in his way. He called me “little Bill”.  His presence is a fresh in my mind as Levi Randolph is today. He was a man among children. I'm not sure Alabama has ever had a more complete player than Jerry Harper.

Coach Johnson nails it...
Tide fans in heaven right now
    

The great Adolph was once asked if his Kentucky Wildcats had played a perfect game. They had just ground some poor SEC team between the cracks in the hardwood.  Rupp, who was not known for his bubbly personality, said absolutely not. When asked what would be a perfect game, he replied that it would be a game where his team all of their shots, got all the rebounds the other team missed. He said the other team couldn’t score. His team couldn’t have a turnover.

I don’t know exactly how you rate a press conference.  I’d say that Avery Johnson came as close behind the microphone at his press conference as Rupp described earlier. It was that good. If any Alabama fan had a single misgiving about Johnson you should now lay them to rest. What more could want to hear from you new coach? I think he made all his points, thanked everyone involved that had anything to do with his success, got choked up talking about his college coach, and touched the hearts of anyone who loves the Tide. I know that my goose bumps had goose bumps. Next season cannot start soon enough for my liking.

Johnson made it clear who was going to dominate in state recruiting. Don’t bet against him on that one. Avery talked about make young men better people. He talked about the ethics of hard work. He then laid out the standard of what he wanted ‘Bama to be. He said that Duke was the team that he would measure his performance against. He thanked AD Battle for his six year contract, but added he didn’t that much time to be successful. He acknowledged the contributions of C.M. Newton and the legendary Wimp Sanderson. He told us that we are part of the plan for Bama basketball to succeed. He put the same type responsibility on the fans as he did for himself.

     I’m happy. At age 67 and more than 1200 games under my belt, I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see more glory from the Crimson Tide. I’m most happiest for our fans between the ages of 18 and around 30 years old. You guys haven’t seen the things some of us have been lucky enough to experience. You don’t know what’s it’s  like to sit on an airplane and talk to another basketball fan knowing that you can talk about hoops as well as football.  I’m sorry you guys missed my old buddies Tom and Jerry, who dressed in red overalls and had those Tide soap boxes and toilet paper on a stick. It is unfortunate that you weren’t around to see such players as T.R. Dunn, Charles Cleveland, or Derrick McKey. I can’t name them all. To have watched Wimp Sanderson dance in the corner of the coaches’ box was amazing. He was like a dancer with a scowl.  My heritage is Scottish. Those were not plaid jackets. They were tartan, and yes, he had one from Clan McGregor. Some of you may have seen a few good days under Mark, David, and Anthony. Those years were not devoid of success or excitement. But they were far short of what had happened before.

I’ve seen Glen Garrett make a basket that started the definition of Tide post season play. I saw George Linn loft a shot that disappeared in the rafters of old Foster, only to see it reappear for a perfect landing. Wow. I saw the great Jerry Harper play, who might just be the best player ever to play for Alabama. I saw the Rocket Eight play when I was so young that my father had to explain special to me. I’ve seen all that and more. I’ve been blessed to go on trips with our team. I love Alabama basketball. I’ve seen a lot of things to love. I hope all of you younger fans can experience the same things under Coach Johnson as some of us have already seen. I’m betting you will. And I’m betting it starts sooner as opposed to later.

"Get ready and fasten your seat belts. You are going to
see something you've never seen." Avery Johnson

Johnson keeps Pettway to approval of the 'Bama Nation...
The more you hear about AJ the better it sounds...

Antoine Pettway retained

    The more I read about Avery Johnson the more there is to like. His players like him. His staff likes him. One thing he has just done to bind the Bama past with the future is to keep Antoine Pettway. Pettway may be the most beloved player to suit up at the Capstone.  I can close my eyes and see those ruby red basketball shoes, and watching him sneak backdoor to beat Florida for the SEC Championship. Ernest Shelton hit him with a spectacular pass through traffic to kill the Gators. It remains the only time I can remember when Tide fans rushed the floor. Pettway wore #50. Too big a number for such a small player. Maybe the staff measured his heart when they gave him his number. That pass, #5 to #50, is one of the most cherished memories in my long association with Alabama basketball. You want to see the little man smile?  Walk up to him and ask him if he remembers #5 to #50 and watch him show you those 'pearlie whites.' 

 

Ingram announces the 13th

   I don't want people to think that the retention of Pettway is just about trying to keep Dazon Ingram headed to Tuscaloosa. That may be a reason, but not the only reason. Pettway is a good recruiter, and a good floor coach as well. He was also the coach that cracked the whip with the players when one was needed. Ingram is underrated and his a tremendous upside. The three tide commitments play different positions and have different skills. I think all three are not rated highly enough. I'd say each is a four star players with five star potential. Ingram, in particular will benefit from AJ as the head man. So will the other two. Who knows what additional assistants he will bring to the party. I'd look for at least one coach who can specialize on inside players. Grant got commitments from three different position players. He got a combo guard, a post player, and small forward. That's a good haul for Johnson to start with. I expect him to maybe surprise the Tide fans with one player, although that is merely conjecture on my part. The dead period extends through the April 9th at noon. 

BATTLE AND JOHNSON SET THE TONE FOR NEW EXPECTATIONS IN BASKETBALL AT THE CAPSTONE...

     Alabama hoop fans can rest a little more assured of the success of Avery Johnson. Doug Gottlieb and Steven A. Smith of CBS and ESPN have taken a very critical view of Alabama hiring Avery Johnson. They miss more predictions than any two sports figures I know. You know that old saying about close only counts in horse shoes and atomic bombs? Those two are not even that close. Smith, even tried the race card in his comments. He laments that going to a backwater school like Alabama shows the dire straights that African-American coaches face. What? Dire Straights? I seem to remember that the Tide's last coach was a black man and a great man. This is the State of Alabama. It's not a liberal state like California. I don't think I can remember any negative comments about the race of the last and future head basketball coaches made by anyone.

    There is only one relevant color at the University of Alabama. That is the color of winning. If Ted Cruz had graduated from the University of Alabama he'd be happy we hired Avery Johnson. Mr. Smith, you don't know me. I'm a liberal in a red state. That doesn't always make me popular in political circles, but I've never seen a single Alabama graduate ever connect race in hiring a  coach. If the world found out that Nick Saban was Hispanic, the only thing we'd hear was "mucho gusto" y Roll Tide Roll. So please take that racist diatribe someplace else. I wish I could be a sportscaster like you. The only single characteristic I see from you and Doug is the common ability to disagree with everything. Neither of you can say anything positive about the SEC, Alabama, and the South in general. So, get that trash out of the news. The real news is that Alabama hired Avery Johnson because Bill Battles believes in him. He doesn't believe in Johnson the black man or Johnson the white man. He believes in Johnson the coach.

    Johnson has the ability to do so much for the Tide. But before he does; we all need to acknowledge Bill Battle for showing the rest of the NCAA nation that in making a stunning offer to Gregg Marshall we are serious about basketball. It's like Mo Williams said, "a return to the glory years". Without making that offer to Marshall I doubt Johnson would have given Alabama a serious thought. We can thank Bill Battle for putting the "little general" on our bench. I also am thankful that we had a coach like Anthony Grant. He didn't win as many games as he hoped. But he put the program back on the course of hard work, fairness and character . I bet when Johnson called Grant to inquire about how he was treated at Alabama he got an earful about how much Bama wants to win, and how fairly he was treated. So in the end, without the work of Battle and Grant none of this may have ever happened. If you read about AJ, as he has become known, he isn't afraid to step down from a challenge. Now, let's have that press conference and go recruit some players. The road next season is not going to be easy, and I don't want anyone to think that in a single year things will turn around. My bet is that Avery Johnson gives the Tide faithful hope for a better future.

NEW ERA OF TIDE BASKETBALL BEGINS WITH HIRING OF AVERY JOHNSON

Battle hits a home run on this one....
This could be the beginning of something special

    

Battle and the Tide make a national statement

 From all reports it seems that the University has hired Avery Johnson as the new Alabama Men’s Head basketball coach. How good is that?  Bill Battle wanted to make a home run hire.  I think he just hit a grand slam home-run deep over the center field fence.  In baseball terms, Battle just hit one over the railroad tracks.  Johnson, who is only 50 years old, replaces Anthony Grant as coach.  Johnson has not coached at the college level but was coach in the NBA. He took one of his teams, the Mavs,  to the Championship series in 2006.

    

Johnson will be at press conference
tomorrow in Tuscaloosa

It is astounding how much the fans have embraced his hire. Less than a week ago countless reasons were expressed why Johnson would not be good fit for ‘Bama. Most detractors sighted his NCAA experience and a lack of recruiting as the main problems. This man has coached in the NBA, and had to deal with egos much stronger than high school players. I disagreed with those assessments. Rather than problems a lot of his supporters saw experience and a real opportunity to get the Tide back in the hunt for national prominence.  I guarantee you that a collective gasp could heard throughout the campuses of SEC schools. On one campus you heard the sounds of joy and jubilation, and despite earlier skepticism by some; it appears that the fan base has now embraced the exuberant Johnson as the new coach. I suspect the support will be rewarded. One poll that I saw showed that over 96% of fans voted their agreement. As we all know, finding that many Alabama fans harmonious on anything is remarkable.

    I think that Avery Johnson’s personality is just what the is needed. Imagine a high school recruit sitting down with Johnson and talking about all the stars he coached. He is pipeline for new ‘Bama recruits and current players into the NBA. Johnson has shown he’s not afraid to crack the whip with pampered NBA players. He’ll have no trouble getting his players on the same page immediately. Johnson’s first job will be to talk with Dazon Ingram, Alabama’s Mr. Basketball, to honor his pledge to the Tide. I bet he does.  That conversation will be between two guards. They talk the same language. Ingram could not find a better coach for his position. Johnson played for 16 years a point guard in the NBA. I can’t speak for Ingram, but it were me I’d be jumping up and down in joy right now. No details of the deal were revealed in any of the reports online. 

    

   

What will Mr. Basketball do?

     Bill Battle wanted to make a statement with this hire. Heo wanted to let the nation know that Alabama was on its way back to run with the big dogs. He also wanted to let fans understand that he is restructuring ‘Bama’s game plan with this hire. He also let a school in Southeast Alabama understand the facts of life as it relates to basketball. I think Battle pulled a Mal Moore on this one. I know one sportswriter in Birmingham, Alabama who is probably chuckling about now. Roll Tide Roll. 

Big News for 'Bama later today or tomorrow?

Battle close to finding a new coach...

     A little bird just told me to expect some news regarding Alabama's next head coach late this afternoon  There is some question about releasing news on Easter Sunday by the University of Alabama.  I'll go with what my source tells me. The potential coach and source  have worked together in the past, and perhaps this source might even be considered for an assistant's job. That doesn't make it a done deal, but it's good enough for me to share this will our readers. 

    I understand that the are no sticking points per se, but some details must be finalized. I'll keep you in the loop. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some news in that time span.The chances seem pretty good. If this is all correct the Tide has met each of its' stated goals. The jump-start would be possible, the follow through with all the needs will be met. This could be a Nick Saban type hire for our basketball program. I think it would safe to assume our recruits, both signed, and being recruited, would be highly impressed with this coach.

UPDATE: ESPN is announcing that Avery Johnson has been hired

Kentucky is 38 and done...

Wisconsin gets the big boards 

and sends Kentucky home...

Big Blue became the big through...

   

Sam Dekker 

 Basketball can be a cruel game. Looking at the expression on the Kentucky fan's faces after the loss to Wisconsin it was almost sad. Almost, but not quite. For the bullies of the NCAA is was a stunning loss. I hope all the Kentucky players fans and players enjoyed a remarkable season. The loss just goes to prove that everyone can lose.  How does that old saying go? "On any given night...". Save one thing. The better team actually won. If Wisconsin can settle down before Monday night they might just win the national championship. This one certainly not an upset. 

KENTUCKY IS RUINING COLLEGE BASKETBALL...

Two great coaches
Old School and No School

         I hate to admit to not pulling for the Cats. They are just like the New York Yankees. You either love or hate them but there is not much in between. That's the way a lot of other SEC schools feel about the Wildcats. The win by the Badgers showed all of us that you can't necessarily buy the best team in the nation. Am I saying Kentucky cheats? Nope, I'm just saying that the University of Kentucky has become nothing more than a pimp for their basketball program. I think there is something wrong about signing players who have no intention of every graduating from college. I've also wondered if any of their players actually attend classes in the second semester. I'm sure some do. 

A COUPLE OF RULE CHANGES NEEDS TO BE MADE...

   

The integrity of basketball is threatened

    When you grow up in the South you are keenly aware of the greatness of Kentucky basketball. It is my personal belief that Calipari and the UK Board has allowed their top sport to get out of hand. It is no longer anything that even resembles amateurism any longer. That doesn't mean they aren't fun to watch and even admire. They may be loaded with five star players but they play as a team, and it seems they checked their egos in their high school locker rooms when they came into the SEC. Students? Naw. Maybe its time for the NCAA to allow a major styled "preparing for the NBA and NFL" and just recognize what college sports have become. Perhaps for every one and done, a school loses a scholarship for the period of time equal to graduation. That's four years. 

GREAT DEFENSIVE GAME... 

 

COLLEGE PLAYER OF YEAR
FRANK KAMINSKY

    What a great defensive basketball game to watch. I thought the Wildcats had the most talent and the Badgers had better players. Bo Ryan coached a masterpiece on the defensive end. On the offensive end his big men took advantage of match-ups that Calipari just couldn't overcome. When the Wildcats switched on every screen, the Badgers got the mismatches inside they needed to score enough points to win. I always thought it a little strange that Kentucky would always switch. Those long arms of the Cats made it tough to shoot over, but pretty easy at times to get inside. Wisconsin had the better inside and back out again game. Their big men found open looks for the guards. Sam Dekker was a highly ranked five star recruit who surprised a lot of people going to Wisconsin. He was the best all around player on the floor. He was the one player that Kentucky couldn't guard. Frank Kaminsky, who is both long and strong, was just better around the basket. He is going to be a great pro. 

CRIMSON HOOPS - TIDE COULD GO IN A STUNNING DIRECTION

AVERY JOHNSON IS A REAL  CANDIDATE PER SOURCES INCLUDING ESPN...

UPDATE

   At 3:15 (PCT) my phone rang.  A great buddy  of mine and an ex-assistant coach in the SEC called. He now works in the NBA. Usually, when I see that number it means that I’m being offered some complimentary tickets.  “Hey, Bill did you know that ‘Bama might hire Avery Johnson?”  Are you serious? Alabama might make jump  that is not only out of the box, it might be from outer space.  I recently said we should really consider hiring Avery Johnson,  but wasn’t sure that a stoic educational institution of  higher education might actually do so.  If Alabama hires Avery Johnson, and I support that idea, it would send a jolt of electricity through the SEC. It would be like booking a ticket on the space shuttle for Bama fans. Some will be vehemently upset, but it is a very logical move by the surprising Bill Battle. The call also indicates this possibility is making the grape vine in the NBA.

    

      He told me the two parties had been talking informally for the last three days, but starting yesterday those conversations turned serious.  I will get back with you when I know more.  This could be the  most important hire in Tide basketball since C.M. Newton.  Talk about creating some positive talk for Alabama.  Wow.  

ESPN also confirmed that the Tide was talking with Prohm and White. We'll have a coach from one of those three in my opinion. Trying to get in touch with D. Ingram. 

Search continues at the Final Four...

NOTHING PUBLIC AT THIS POINT

PITINO SAYS NO

AVERY  JOHNSON
NBA STAR AND COACH

     The Alabama coaching search continues. Richard Pitino let the Tide know he had no interest in the Alabama coaching position. I was of the opinion that he wouldn't have been a good fit for Alabama. So the search continues. My bet is that Battle goes to Final Four and takes his most trusted advisors and shake a lot of fans and rattles every bush he can find. My only other advice to Mr. Battle is to go down to the Piggly-Wiggly and get two large shopping bags. He then fills them up with 4-5 million dollars in cash while he talks with potential candidates. It's his best shot. I know that he has opened some of conversations with several individuals. The first two he contacted, Marshall and Pitino said no. Marshall wanted to stay home, and Pitinio was not willing to trade in the Big Ten for a middling SEC team. That's the national perception right now. That may be unfair. It might not be true. But it's who we are today. 

      I'm sure we'll have a new head coach by next week. National signing date is approaching, and Alabama's Mr. Basketball, Dazon Ingram is waiting to find out who the next coach in Tuscaloosa is going to be, if he honors his non-binding grant in aid to Alabama. That tells me the young man wants to come to Alabama. We wrote earlier this year that he wanted to play for Anthony Grant, and knew the coach was on the hot seat. Who can blame him for that?

     Of all the years to need a coach this is not the year to go look. So far there has been very limited turnover, and young up and comers have started to realize they make the Tournament in lesser conferences. It's pretty obvious that the upper tier schools in mid-majors can play against anyone. Gonzaga and Butler has proven that. I've seen San Diego State University play a few times this season and they are a good team. Better than Alabama for sure. The names of Prohm and White are good coaches. So is Archie Miller. There are a lot of good coaches out there. There just aren't many great ones.  To jump-start a program you need a great coach or one who becomes great, in a short period of time.  Maybe these guys can do it. I don't think Miller is interested and despite the close ties to Alabama, Prohm doesn't seem chomping at the bit to go Crimson.

     Maybe Battle and company have an ace up their sleeve we don't know about. Or maybe he's going on a big shopping spree this weekend. No one seems to know what plan C is. Plan B appeared to be Pitino. It seems that plan A and B didn't work.  I'd like to point out that almost all of coaches whose names have been mentioned in the print media are good ones. In the normal course of business they would be just fine. I just think we are not in the normal course right now. We have very little talent and the barbarians are literally at the gate. UAB and Auburn are about to make some big improvements. Today, it doesn't look like we have grand slam choice. Regardless of who ends up being coach he is looking at tough road next season. Maybe the new coach can bring in someone he's already recruiting or hit the JUCO ranks. The Tide is returning some solid players. A few key players can make Alabama a pretty good team.

     Let's assume that Battle is not dealing with a huge name. That seems to be the case. What are the options at that point. We could try a up and coming coach like we did with Grant There are several of those type guys. It's a tough league to break in a rookie coach, but not impossible. Battle could really blow off the doors with a choice like Avery Johnson. He was an NBA Coach of Year once. He's dynamic. He isn't dull in the least. He would not be intimidated sharing the stage with football. He has great NBA contacts. That can help sell the program to recruits exactly in the same manner as Saban. It doesn't concern me that he hasn't recruited for an NCAA team. He had to deal with pampered and spoiled brats in the NBA. I bet he'd do just fine. This is a tough decision for Battle. It seems his options are dropping out one by one. If we pick the old tried method of taking a young coach it might work. That wasn't Battle wanted to do. It goes against his own statement of what he desired in a way. If we want to draw attention to our program and make a statement I'd go with Avery Johnson. Anyone that is picked will have one thing in common - they were not Gregg Marshall. Johnson  would be stunning choice. It would be controversial pick. Could it be any worse than lately?

NO, NO, NO

Wichita steps up to the plate...

      Well, this cold shoulder by Gregg Marshall is truly disappointing, but not surprising. I thought we had a good shot when it was announced he and his family were coming to Alabama for a visit. Like almost all of you, this was the man I wanted when Anthony was terminated.  But in a couple of earlier columns I said he is a man who places great value on loyalty.  In fact, I said that the virtue of loyalty was something difficult to factor in with Marshall. Let’s hope our University learns some valuable lessons from this.  I expect Bill Battle already has.  What are those lessons? Here’s what I learned -

1.       Everything is not always about money.  You can dog Marshall for whatever reason you choose.  It is clear he didn’t want to move from his home.

2.       The name ALABAMA isn’t some magical dust you can sprinkle on someone and they’ll come running. In basketball, it’s going to take a lot more than the name.

3.       You have to have a plan when you intend to fire someone. I know for a FACT that  two days before Grant was fired, it  was not in the AD’s plan to do so. 11^th hour pressure caused him to overreact.  By overreact, I mean he didn’t think through all the ‘what ifs.’  I don’t necessarily blame Battle for doing for all of that. I honestly don’t think he had a very realistic idea of how hard it was going to be to hire a new coach. I think he thought the name Alabama would find us someone, and if we offered a ton of money that would finish the process.

4.       This situation shows me that the national opinion of Alabama basketball is abysmal. It wasn’t Grants fault alone.  When everyone knows that Alabama treats its basketball program l  the red headed step child it becomes obvious A lot of us, including some of our best posters tried to express those feelings.  Those opinions got ridiculed.

5.       Most of all I hope that Battle understands, and by now surely he does, is that overall our basketball program needs more than a tune up.

6.       Credit to Battle for going after a home run. That shows me that he sounds serious. The offer made to Marshall was a good one, although a lot of us said it wasn’t enough. Wichita State had the one thing the Tide couldn’t offer, and that was his home and family.  I think that Coach Marshall was coming until WSU was able to raise his salary to a reported 3.3 million dollars. At that point it became a no brainer for Marshall. He said the offer would have to be ridiculous. It was generous, but nothing more.

7.       I’m sure Battle was in a position of having made his best offer which he thought was sufficient to lure him to Tuscaloosa.  In the end, it jus t wasn’t enough.  We can speculate what might have happened if Battle had come back and offered 5 million. I don’t think Marshall would have left, but it is interesting speculation. Did Marshall use Alabama to get more money? Sure, and there is not one thing wrong with doing so.

8.       Should Alabama be embarrassed by all of this? I guess it depends on your personal point of view. My answer is a solid yes.  The late minute change of heart about Grant, firing him the day we got an NIT bid, brought negative attention to an already had situation. Grant didn’t deserve that. Our fans didn’t deserve that, and most of all our players didn’t deserve what happened.

9.       Here’s the deal and we have to live with it. Until we change the culture surrounding the administration’s approach to basketball,   hiring a new coach will be like placing a band-aid on a hemorrhage.  A new coach brings excitement and hope. I can wax my old clunker of a car and make it look nice and shiny. If it wasn’t going to start before, it won’t start after the buffing either. It’s not pleasant to admit this but it’s true

10.   Marshall might have been somewhat of a shortcut because he because he knows what it takes to run a basketball program.  A coach can only do what he can do so much  within the culture of his surroundings. That’s what Hobbs faced, that is what Mark faced in many ways, and that is what Grant faced.  It’s where we are and who we are.

     A lot of us have been talking about the state of Alabama basketball for years.  The result was like throwing kerosene on a fire. Many Alabama fans exploded in anger.  Don’t talk about the University of Alabama in such a manner!!!  My firm belief is that you cannot repair a problem until you finally admit you have one.  That is what Albert Einstein said. He’s was a pretty high achiever.  Once you acknowledge the problem to yourself you can move forward. If you can move forward you might repair the situation.

     Gosh, I hate losing Marshall.  It hurt in a lot of ways.  However; if it opens up the eyes of our fans and administration to our situation it might be the catalyst needed for decades past to find future success.  I thought that Battle in his “concession” remarks was a classic example of good taste, and behavior. I have no doubt that he will now turn his search to the best coach we can hire. When we hire that man and if we do the things necessary to make basketball a serious player we will move forward.  If not with this new hire, hopefully all the ground work has been laid. You ask, exactly when will that be? I’ll answer the question this way – Auburn hired Bruce Pearl and has a new arena.  They hired Pearl and built that arena when the coffers were low.  Surely, the University of Alabama, the Capstone of our State, wants to achieve at least that.  Then   can better access  who we want to be and where we want to go  in basketball.  It will take some real dedication and time.  Marshall is just a wakeup call to help us understand that the name Alabama can’t stand alone. It couldn’t when we had a succession of football coaches for the past couple of decades.

     That is why I was scared about getting rid of Grant until we were certain we had a man who was coming. It was too risky this season. Not enough big names were being marketed.  The manner in which Grant was fired hurt our national image.  I’m sure we all know that people are hiding in the weeds ready to strike out at ‘Bama? We just made that easy for them to do. That was not good thinking in the short run. Pressure can cause a person to make poor decisions.  If we were going to fire Grant he should have been allowed to at least play out the season, and in the meantime we could have start to search. That’s not the way it happened, and honestly, I have no idea who our next coach might be.  I don’t know of any coach who has openly lobbied for the job, including Marshall. Do you?  The sun will come up. Things will get better. We will survive the loss of Marshall. We have too much to offer someone.  Someone will say yes. We have a proud, if under stated, basketball tradition. It’s overshadowed by football, but even standing alone the record is a good one.